Barbara Maher is an award-winning cookbook author who was born
in Germany and brought up in England. She is fluent in German,
French and Italian which allows her to conduct extensive
research in a wide range of international cookbooks dating back
to the fifteenth century. This is an amazing cookbook because it
also includes a wide variety of cakes that you might not have
heard of in an English/American cookbook.

This book is a collection of the world's finest cakes. There
are such divine cakes in this cookbook, you will be seduced by
lavishness. Not only are there full-color pictures displaying a
bakeryful of tempting tastes, there are more than 100 recipes
for cakes and desserts for every occasion. If you are looking
for a light, airy treat for an afternoon snack you might choose
lacy Florentines.

If you are new to making some of the cakes, there are
easy-to-follow photographic sequences that demonstrate every
essential baking and decorating technique. Whether you want to
know how to pipe rosettes or sugar-frost flowers, it is all
explained in pictures.

There is an entire section on key ingredients and equipment
used in cake making. This is the section where you can see all
the basic skills required for baking. Basic ingredients are
pictured. There are also "enriching" ingredients. The
"bakeware" section is helpful because at times you can
read "Balmoral pan" and have no idea what that is. I
had never seen one myself.

I liked the "variations" on the butter Cakes
recipe. You can chose to make a simple butter cake or turn it
into a chocolate marble pound cake, a mixed spice pound cake or
a fresh apricot pound cake which actually looks the best with
icing dripping all over it.

I had never thought of using green grapes to decorate a cake.
It is such a fresh beautiful idea. How about fresh cherries,
mint leaves and chocolate curls?

Some of the delicious recipes include:

Fruit & Spice Cakes - could make a beautiful Christmas
Gift that would not be soon forgotten. Chocolate Eclairs, Buche
de Noel and Italian Easter Cake look divine.

If you love making your own bread at home in the bread machine
or by hand, this 10-Grain Baking Blend is bound to impress. You
can add a few tablespoons to your bread recipes to add to the
nutritional value.

By making bread at home, you can have hot bread from the oven in
no time and everyone is happy. There is a definite comfort
factor when making breads at home. With this 10-Grain Baking
Blend, you can create many new recipes that will enhance your
family's health.

You could add this to pancakes, scones, homemade granola,
muffins, cookies and an entire list of baked goods.

Many people have peanut or nut allergies and eating
pumpkin seeds may be a good alternative and delicious solution.
These are also a good substitute for almond or hazelnut praline in
your chocolate truffle or candy recipes. You can add these to bread
dough, trail mix, chocolate chip cookie dough or even scones and
muffin batters.

Ingredients: Sugar, pumpkin seeds, spice, salt and caramel color.

The taste is similar to a pumpkin pie spice, with cinnamon as the
featured spice element. If you plan on sharing these or baking, you
may want to order two bags.

If you love using your bread machine and want a
reliable yeast that does not need to be proofed (can't remember the
last time I did that), then this yeast will make your life much
easier. While this is not a rapid yeast, the bread does seem to rise
more quickly than with packets of yeast from the grocery store. This
saves time and gives you an empowered feeling instead of the
"Is this going to rise or not?" feeling.

The yeast can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer and is very
convenient to use. Unlike the yeast cakes, you don't have to worry
about mixing it with water or milk. You just measure it into the
bread machine.

Here is the recipe I love making for Focaccia bread. It turns out
wonderful and you can start it in the bread machine or make it by
hand. We serve this in slices or squares topped with butter and
fresh rosemary or an herbed cream cheese. Perfect with homemade soup
in the winter.

Measure the water, yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil and flour into the
bread pan. Program for white bread, dough cycle and large loaf.
After the dough has been kneaded, you can put it in a large
stainless bowl and cover the dough with a damp cloth. I normally
forget it is in there and catch it just before it is about to rise
over the top of the pan, so it still works, either way. You could
also use half the ingredients for just one loaf if you want to let
it rise in the bread machine
pan.

Let it rise until double in a warm place. My secret it to turn the
oven on and then almost immediately off (just leave it on until you
feel some heat on your hand) and this seems to create a "just
warm enough" environment for bread to rise. Punch down and
divide into thirds. Roll out two squares and one elongated loaf.
This works well on the regular size cookie sheets. If you have a
larger cookie sheet, you can roll the dough into two 8-inch squares.

Make deep indents with the end of the rolling pin handle at regular
intervals. Then brush with olive oil. Let the bread rise until
almost doubled.

Either sprinkle with sea salt or sprinkle with dried or fresh
rosemary and sea salt. You can also top the dough with tomato
slices, onion slices and sliced and pitted Kalamata olives before
baking.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

After the bread cools, it will slice easily and it freezes very
well. I normally slice two loaves and cut one into squares for
sandwiches.

The idea for this bread came to me after visiting a sandwich shop at
a garden center in Seattle. After arriving home from visiting my
grandmother, I knew I had to try to make the cream cheese and the
bread because they were perfect to serve with homemade soup.

This bread has a lot of possibilities so you can vary the toppings
to suit the types of soups you are serving.

The Instant yeast always works and with a bread machine, you end up
feeling like a professional baker. The results are sure to impress.
The bread always has a "fresh from the bakery" taste
unlike the taste of breads made with packets of yeast.

Delicate and crunchy buttery shortbread cookies have been rolled in
raspberry flavored confectioners' sugar. You might want to buy two
tins because these will be gone in a "snap."

Otherwise, they do sort of snap as you bite into them and they have
an intriguing crunchy textures that is also buttery and especially
delicious. Perfect for tea parties, as a gift or to savor as a
personal indulgence.